Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.
3 is average.
5 is the highest rating.
Date Reviewed -
July 27, 2009
Cadet-Captain Mike
Name: HMS Swiftsure (England)
Card: CC #042 (Rare)
Points: 10
Masts: 1
Cargo: 2
Moves: L+L
Guns : 2S
Hit %: 67 (S), 0 (L)
Ability: L-range cannons cannot hit this ship.
One-Masted Ships Week begins with an Englishman, the
HMS Swiftsure. The "swift" part is certainly
correct, but speed alone doesn't make a ship good.
What else can she do?
I don't usually recommend one-masted ships as
fighters, since they die so easily. But the
Swiftsure's one cannon is good, and she has a very
useful defensive ability. Give her a Captain crew
and send her out with one or two good English
fighters, and she could be a useful help to them. A
Musketeer would be a good addition as well. Just
don't let her get rammed. If you use her for gold,
she'll do okay, with fine speed but poor cargo;
England has better choices for gold running.
Ten points can buy you a more capable fighting ship
like HMS Nautilus, HMS Lord Walpole, or HMS Henry
VIII, or a better all-purpose ship like HMS Dover.
But if used properly, HMS Swiftsure can be an
entertaining change from the usual English routine
of monstrous gunships. If you're an English admiral
and your enemies think they've got you figured out,
give this little ship a try.
Ship Name: HMS Swiftsure
Set/Faction: Crimson Coast/English
Number: 042
Ship Type: Ship
Points: 10
Cannons: 2S
Speed: L+L
Mast: 1
Cargo Space: 2
Abilities: L-Range cannons cannot hit this ship.
Flavor Text: Originally owned as a private yacht by
the Owen family. HMS Swiftsure was price of
Gryffin’s commission in the Royal Navy. The
Swiftsure is a flush-decked sloop, difficult for
other ships to target at long range.
This ship is unique due to it being one of the very
few ships to have the L+L speed without any
modification from crew or ability. The problem is
that this ship is a one mast and that it has a very
expensive cost to it. It’s ability allows it to
avoid being hit by ships that utilize on L-range
cannons, but is out of luck when being targeted by
S-range cannons. This ship has a great cannon in it
being a 2S, though one must be careful since you
will have to go into S-range to shoot. This ship can
be used to harass the two or one mast gold ships,
just watch out for anything of a higher mast number.
Abilities such as having to hit a ship twice, the
hit misses if a ship has all it’s mast/segments, and
ships that cannot be hit if in S-range are the bane
to this ship. This ship can double as a gold ship
with its great speed, but you are going to have to
come up smart set up in a 30 or 40 point game. In
all, this ship has great speed, a great cannon, and
a nifty ability for those that utilize on L-range
cannons, it is just that the point cost may turn
some players away from using this ship.
Rating: 3
Draco
Starcloud
By
Draco Starcloud
HMS Swiftsure
I'm not quite sure if we have a theme this week
beyond 1-mast ships.
Powers: Immunity to L-range cannons is a great power
to have, but you'll find this power is almost
negated by HMS Swiftsure's cannon.
Cargo Space: The HMS Swiftsure only has two cargo
spaces, which isn't horrible for a one-mast boat.
Masts: As I mentioned earlier, the HMS Swiftsure's
power is almost negated by its single cannon: a 2S.
The cannon's a good cannon, but you have to get
almost right next to your target to hit. Unless
you're fighting a ship with only L-Range cannons,
you might be better off gold-running.
Base Move: A L+L is almost as good as a Triple-S. It
certainly makes gold running a viable option.
Point Value: 10 points isn't horrible, but it's a
little overpriced, seeing as it's only slightly-less
vulnerable than the average one-master.
HMS Swiftsure has some potential as a fighter or a
gold-runner, but you can surely find boats that are
either better fighters or better gold-runners (well,
this is England we're talking about so maybe not)
for the same ten points.
